Name

Year

Credit

credited As

"Wait a sec," you'll say, furrowing your brow, upon hearing that Gerard Butler is in talks to headline a new film called The Raven. "Didn't that movie already come out?" Some of you will recall, with a good deal of regret, having head to theaters in April of 2012 to catch a newly released psychological thriller bearing this very same title: a John Cusack film that made for a resounding groan, critically and commercially. So why then, so soon after this universal flop, did someone think it a good idea to make another movie with the same title?
The film, which Deadline reports is in negotiations to give Butler a leading role formerly connected to Liam Hemsworth's name, is being pegged as a sci-fi thriller about a man whose incredible power that makes him the target of an evil regime. Nothing to do with Cusack's The Raven, or even Poe's "The Raven." But with a film both as recent and as adamantly scorned as the 2012 picture, it'll be hard to avoid an undesirable association.
But just maybe this will work in the favor of Butler's film. In the pattern of like named movies of the past, perhaps the dreadful reaction to the 2012 film will automatically brand this new one "the good Raven."
Kicking and ScreamingThe Will Ferrell family comedy about soccer and the quarter-life crises indie movie (that's the good one)
Jersey GirlThe Ben Affleck rom-com and the Melanie Griffith rom-com (that's the good one)
GladiatorThe Cuba Gooding Jr. boxing drama and the Russell Crowe Roman epic (that's the good one)
HeatThe indubitably '80s Burt Reynolds flick and the classic Pacino/De Niro crime drama (that's the good one)
TwilightThe infamous vampire franchise kickoff and the Paul Newman mystery thriller (that's the good one... if only by default)
There's hope for you yet, Raven 2.0!
Follow Michael Arbeiter on Twitter @MichaelArbeiter
Follow Hollywood.com on Twitter @Hollywood_com
More:Gerard Butler Says Most Action Movies Are 'Precious'Reese Witherspoon Joins 'Inherent Vice''Pacific Rim' Trailer: Monsters Vs. Robots
From Our Partners:What Happened to 33 Child Stars (Celebuzz)40 Most Revealing See-Through Red Carpet Looks (Vh1)

Anchored by the fact that the demise of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes has provided the most consistent source of sadness for me over the course of the past decade, I approach the developing TLC movie with apprehension. The VH1 film has sat dormant in the works for quite some time, first gracing the pop culture conscious in 2011 — three years after remaining members Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins revived the R&amp;B band as a two-man operation. Vulture announces now that the music television network is picking up speed, casting a musician and two musician-actresses to play the iconic 1990s trio: Lil Mama, Keke Palmer, and Step Up star Drew Sidora.
RELATED: Paul Dano to Star in Brian Wilson Biopic
It might raise concerns that Lil Mama — while perhaps the biggest name on the cast list, is also the only of the three without any acting credits to her name — has been handed the role of Left Eye, who will ostensibly play the focal point of the movie's narration. Having lost her life tragically in a car accident at the age of 30, the drama and sorrow of Left Eye's story is likely to command the most attention from VH1's writing staff. As such, music artist and America's best Dance Crew judge Lil Mama, born Naitia Kirkland, will be exhibiting a brand new form of artistic express in this film, and in large doses.
Palmer, on the other hand, has been tested duly in the cinematic. Owning the title role in Akeelah and the Bee, recurring in Tyler Perry's madea franchise, and headlining the sitcom True Jackson, we'll be investing a tad more confidence in the actress' capabilities in handling singer Chilli. The lesser known Sidora also has a slew of big and small screen roles to her name, most notably on That's So Raven and in films like Step Up and Wild Hogs.
RELATED: Mick Jagger, Brian Grazer Producing James Brown Biopic
Call us cynical, but this is a few rungs shy of an dream cast. While we must keep in mind that a VH1 movie is likely to split its time evenly between acting and singing, we'd still like a big screen-caliber production when handling the story of TLC. This isn't just any nostalgic pop band we're talking about — people love the hell out of TLC. Nobody born before 1993 has managed to get through life without being part of a highway sing-along to "No Scrubs." Nobody can resist a slow, rhythmic head-bob and soulful pantomime when "Waterfalls" hits the radio waves. And nobody can think about the dynamic trio without sighing wistfully, at least a bit.
Still, we have hope. This might not be gearing up to be the musical biopic of the decade, but we're excited to see what the impassioned forces at work have in store for our beloved TLC.
Follow Michael Arbeiter on Twitter @MichaelArbeiter.
[Photo Credit: Wenn]
From Our Partners:Bradley Cooper Dancing Is Surprisingly Awkward, Sweaty (Vh1)Kate Upton Bares All in Nothing But Body Paint: Video (Celebuzz)

"The Siege" offered that patented blend of laissez-faire bodily violence and "media analysis" we've come to expect from The Following in its first four episodes, but before we dive into the recap I just wanted to share an email I received last night from a very special guest. I'll let him introduce himself.
Hey dudes! My name's Ryan Hardy. Aside from this wicked hangover I've been nursing for eight plus years, I've got stuff to deal with right now. a kidnapped child. An apoplectic mother (and ex-lover, heyo). Not to mention the ever-mounting stack of bodies I can't help but feel I'm sort of responsible for. Maybe? Open question. My therapist and I are going to have an all-time great session next week, but before I hit the couch there's this one question I feel I should address now: why haven't we just killed Joe Carroll?
Those are tricky legal shores, I know. Not to mention the fact that for all his serial killing and Poe references — Jesus the Poe references — I have to admit I sort of like the guy. Plus he lends some regularity to my schedule which had mostly been filled with longing stares out my loft window and my bi-weekly hair-tousling appointment. Interrogations are not nearly as tense as television would have you believe. Did you see the guards they stationed in the room? They add two more each week.
But I digress. This week, Joe really tested our friendship! Getting that attorney to hop on national television, read that line from "The Masque of the Red Death." Not cool, bro. Of course I'm mad at myself, too. It's like AHH — why didn't we put the kibosh on this before it could spiral out of control?! BONER MOVE, Hardy. (Imagine me hitting myself repeatedly in the forehead, which is what I'm doing right now.) But whatever jokes you want to make about my alcoholism…I'm not the bad guy. Joe is. And I'm starting to wonder if we shouldn't just stamp his passport to Deathtown.
(That was badass, right?)
Think about it. Everything that's happened in this last crazy month has been on his command. Behind bars or not, bro's like a psychosexual Jedi — able to mind-control anyone with daddy issues within a 50 mile radius. (Maybe wider! I don't read the paper! Is California okay?) As long as he's able to open his mouth, literally or figuratively, the body count keeps rising. Parker calls this a "correlation," which I'm guessing she heard in her religious cult studies graduate program (I don't know what it means). In any case: I have to believe that if you eliminate Joe, you eliminate the power of his Following.
Here's where Parker tells me things become problematic. There's this documentary crew, tracking us at FBI HQ and the Followers in all their respective Follower homes. For a while I couldn't figure out what all the cameras were for. I was drunk, BIG WHOOP. But then I learned this program they're shooting and airing concurrently is, like, shockingly popular. Each week MILLIONS of people tune in to watch me furrow my brow, watch Joe smirk. (I frankly don't get the appeal, but then I don't presume to know what anyone is thinking ever.) This makes us money? Point is, these people want to keep watching. Our bosses want them to keep watching. And in order for both of those things to happen I'm forced to throw common sense completely out the window and let Joe live.
Again, I like the guy. Maybe I even love him? I would not be shocked if this became a plot point I mean issue for me midway through season two I mean the next year of this ongoing serial killer task force. But it's so frustrating to be a smart guy who KNOWS WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE and not be able to do anything about it. Is this what Batman feels like? Dancing with the Joker over and over again, falling prey to the same tricks only to throw him back behind bars before his inevitable escape? At least the Joker had an interesting worldview. Joe is an English teacher who has never studied any books that weren't written by Edgar Allen Poe. Maybe I'll tweet that. I'm so bored.
I don't even know who I'm writing this to, or if I'm even sober, but it felt important to put these thoughts to paper as recorded evidence of my not being a total law-enforcement doofus. I know stuff, okay? And while we're doing this — I'm fully aware that my tie is perpetually loose. It's not because I'm a disheveled alcoholic mess. It's because the alcohol lodged in my pores makes it difficult to aerate. YOLO.
Talk about a Chatty Cathy! Ryan, I can now admit, has been emailing me for weeks. Most of the time it's Twilight conspiracy theories or that Kony 2012 video, which he just will not let go, but I thought his latest scribble was worth sharing. From now on I'll be sure to forward his more coherent messages as they arrive.
So what's left to say that Ryan didn't cover? Enough! The episode was called "The Siege" and, as the title suggests, the FBI (well, Ryan and Hanson) finally deduce the location of the farmhouse and quietly make their way in. But not before some wacky side adventures, some fun (palling around with local law enforcement!) and others less so (stumbling into the home of two nice townies freshly murdered by the farmhouse trio). You're up and you're down, you know? The latter scene, oddly enough, offered a wonderfully human moment for Hardy as he coached the local officer shadowing him through the shock of seeing his first body. What a great contrast: this one guy so raw, so rattled, while Hardy's so beyond desensitized it's like taking in a still life for him. THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED MORE OF, THE FOLLOWING!
Of course, quiet moments can't last, and a scene or two later our heroes arrive at the farmhouse to ferret out Joey and make their escape. Unbeknownst to Hardy, the trio he thought he'd be facing was joined earlier by another Follower, Hank, who was "triggered" by the Poe-laced statement Joe's lawyer made. But no worries! Hank dispatches the rookie cop — non-recurring character blood everywhere, very sad — before being killed by Hardy. Hardy finds Meghan tied up in the basement. And then he's onto Joey, who he assures he'll rescue…except it'll have to wait until next episode, because Paul finds them both. Hardy's going to have to use summon every line of "The Raven" to get out of this one!
Returning to jail after her wackadoo press release, Olivia tells Joe she "won't be [his] messenger." He smiles that smarmy English teacher smile. "Darling, we're just getting started." Then he asks her to please take dictation, they've got a lot to go over. WHY IS NO ONE PAYING ATTENTION TO THESE CONVERSATIONS FROM A MONITOR OR SOMETHING HOLY HELL YOU COULD SAVE YOURSELVES SO MUCH TROUBLE.
If I'm yelling a lot in this recap and calling situations and people "stupid" it's only because I sort of care and want The Following to be the best version of itself possible. This criticism I'm lobbing? It comes from a place of love. Or at least not complete dislike. Certainly a place where the library's got more than one volume of poetry on the shelf.
…Holy moly this show's dumb. See you next week!
From Our Partners:
Kate Upton Bares All in Nothing But Body Paint: Video (Celebuzz)
Bradley Cooper Dancing Is Surprisingly Awkward, Sweaty (Vh1)

I need to admit something: were it not for these recaps, I wouldn't be watching The Following. There are other shows I could say the same of (COUGH Revolution) but there it's a different sort of disconnect, one in which the show just isn't any good. You watch hoping it will be, sure, give it a few episodes to find its footing…only to be continually and consistently burned. The Following isn't that. Maybe it's not the finest show on television, but quality — of writing, of acting, of direction — isn't the issue, at least for me. And, like you, I'd wager, I'm intrigued enough by the show's central premise to want to see how this all pans out. I'm engaged.
I'm also sort of deeply disturbed.
Maybe that's the point? A show about a serial killer and his gang of serial killer acolytes should be off-putting; shocking. It would be weird to tune in to find Hardy and the whole FBI gang ragging on each other for their dating foibles, or trying to get a cupcake business off the ground. Innocents being punched, stabbed, and lit on fire definitely makes sense. But it's just very, very unpleasant to watch.
RELATED: 'The Following' Recap: Followers Makin' Moves
The final scene of last night's episode really sealed the deal for me. Hardy, having just witnessed an FBI partner stabbed through the jugular and the assailant get away, heads to Claire's place to check in. Turns out she's finally heard from her son, Joey…in the form of a sadistic QuickTime movie where his captors teach him how to kill an insect, and then a mouse. Joey questions the need to suffocate a living thing in a mason jar, but that doesn't matter -- he's being indoctrinated into The Following, his innocence a silly trifle. "Hi, Ryan!" Emma has him say to the camera, very much intending for this video to reach Hardy.
Our discomfort is clearly the point. We're supposed to want these grinning psychopaths dead, maybe in as grisly a fashion as they've so far dispatched victims on the show. Minutes earlier Jordy, the captured prison guard who'd nearly killed Claire last week, intentionally chokes to death eating the gauze from his arm sling. First question is: WHY IS NO ONE SURVEILLING THE SERIAL KILLER PROTEGES THEY HAVE IN CAPTIVITY. Second question is: really?!? Sh*t, dude. And his horrific end came moments after Paul (revealed to be for real gay fake gay dude) slammed a pretty convenience store clerk's head into a car and tied her up. Ten minutes after Ryan shot another Follower to death. And of course twelve minutes after the aforementioned FBI agent jugular stabbing. I guess what I'm saying is you CAN have too much of a good thing?
…All of which is beside the point, as you came here for a RECAP, not a sermon, and my landlord keeps asking for RENT. We all have our cross to bear (something I hope will not become a plot point this season). So let's suck it up and talk excessive, desensitizing violence!
'The Following' Recap: (Really) Bad Teacher
Last night's episode began with a little preamble to the previous week's ending, with our Poe mask-wearing murderer performing "The Raven" for a nearby, rapt audience. The Following, of course, asks that we suspend a lot of disbelief. But the notion that crowds gather for poetry recited by mentally ill people wearing the creepiest masks ever manufactured is…wait, that actually makes sense. Anyway, says Weston later, "it's very common." Okay!
Hardy, Weston, Parker, et al go to investigate our Follower of the Week's* house and discover his terrified wife holed up in a closet, brandishing a knife. At HQ, she reveals that he'd joined up with Carroll's band of misfits a few years earlier, after he'd been laid off from a job. He stabbed her, viciously, when she'd asked for a divorce. Or so she says. Via flashback, we learn a little more about the Follower meeting space the FBI had uncovered last week. Ever had a clubhouse or been a member of a secret society? It's basically that — super-chill, murder-happy, etc. Everyone just having a rad time. Before Hardy can trace another lead and/or secretly take down another vodka shot, fire guy has killed again — this time the Dean of Winslow University, who had declined to give Carroll tenure some years back.
*let's make this a thing. Everyone on board? DISH Hopper guy? Cool!
Meanwhile Emma and the not-gay gay neighbors continue their squabbling, made worse by flashbacks that reveal that maybe the not-gay gay neighbors are gay, or at least discovered some unexpected sexual chemistry during their time together. Anyway, Paul is tired of being neglected. So he does what anyone in his position would do, which is come on to a nearby convenience store clerk before taking her hostage in the house where you're also housing your cult leader's son. DUH. In a show where college Romance professors are basically Professor Charles Xavier, this makes all the sense in the world.
RELATED: 'The Following': James Purefoy on Serial Killers, '70s Porn, and Kevin Bacon's Entrails
But before you can say "vodka breath," we're back to Hardy and Co. watching over the fire starter's wife. Who, we'll soon learn, is NOT the innocent she'd proclaimed herself to be but as big a Carroll-head as the next freakazoid guy or gal. She kills the FBI agent assigned to watch over her. Hardy, who'd been stationed outside with Weston, clues to what's going on and corners her in the backyard. Her husband materializes almost out of thin air, coming at Hardy with a knife. Hardy shoots him. In the confusion, though, the wife escapes. And if these promos for next week are to be believed, that was not for the best.
So there, in just about 1000 words, is everything you could need to speak intelligently about the plot of last night's episode as well as the spiritual costs of indulging in such excessive violence. I think Dr. Do No Harm said it best in the promos for his hit NBC show, Do No Harm: "LET'S HAVE SOME FUN."
(Please be safe and good to one another.)
You Might Also Like:
Biden? Ford? Surprisingly Hot Young Pics of Politicians
Who Wore This Crazy Hat?
Stars Who Changed Their Look After Love

Year's end is close upon us and the Hollywood.com staff is finally ready to weigh in on the best of the best of big screen. We sat through movie after movie, January through December, to give you a definitive list of 2012's stand out films. Who made the cut? Read on for our writers' picks for the best movies of the year:
The Best
21 Jump Street (Picked By Kate Ward)
The reboot of the 1980s series starring Johnny Depp had everything going against it: It was released during the industry's March dead zone, which also happened to coincide with disinterested audiences' increasing desire to give all Hollywood reboots the boot. But 21 Jump Street jumped past all these hurdles, becoming not only one of Hollywood's few entertaining reboots, but one that showcased the surprising comedic talents of 2012's A-list breakout Channing Tatum. And in a year full of blockbuster tentpoles (The Hunger Games, Breaking Dawn — Part 2, and The Dark Knight Rises) and Oscar bait (Argo, Les Misérables, and Django Unchained), how could you not lend some support to 2012's true underdog?
Amour (Picked By Matt Patches)
In the last 20 years, Michael Haneke has explored every facet of human evil, no act of violence or shame too perverse for his cinematic journeys. Amour is new territory for the auteur, certainly his sweetest film to date, yet continuing his trend of forcing us to confront our deepest fears as emotional beings. With two powerful performances by French actors Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant, Haneke's film follows an elderly couple who grapple with staying sane in the final moments of their lives. Anne (Riva) is bed-stricken and barely aware of her surroundings. Georges (Trintignant) dedicates his every minute to taking care of her. The audiences watches, inspired, shocked, and warmed by the simple, raw drama of it all.
Anna Karenina (Picked By Abbey Stone)
Jon Wright's luscious, highly stylized adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's classic story of love and despair divided critics, but I was captivated by it. A departure from Wright's sweeping retellings of such literary masterpieces as Pride and Prejudice and Atonement, Anna Karenina is claustrophobic, physically and figuratively. By trapping his characters in the ever-moving sets of an imperial theater (used to its best advantage in a heart-stopping horse race scene), Wright illustrates the rigid, suffocating bounds of Russian society life. Tom Stoppard's screenplay, meanwhile, takes Tolstoy's tome and strips it down to simple language that conveys the most elemental of human desires. The gorgeous costumes, actors, and landscape (a literal breath of fresh air when you venture outside the stifling theater) all compliment one another to create the film's mesmerizing dreamscape.
Argo (Picked By Kelsea Stahler)
It may be a mind-bending thought to suppose that a Ben Affleck film may be in the running for an Oscar, but Argo is unavoidable in the conversation about who’ll take the awards stage in February of next year. But the reason it stands out as a favorite in 2012 isn’t owed to any fancy behind-the-scenes footwork. This film hearkens back to an older time in both setting and style; it’s got a few frill and all the suspense and soul audiences require of a great movie. Heck, it’s even got a few moments of tense humor, which is practically requisite of a film that involves the production of a fake Star Wars rip-off as a resolution to a harrowing hostage situation. Argo is by no means the most perfectly-crafted film of 2012, but it rises to the top tier as one of the more solidly enjoyable and diverting films of the year. And since it’s based on a true story, you might even learn a thing or two.
The Avengers (Picked By Sydney Bucksbaum)
The Avengers rounded up all the Marvel movie superheroes in what could have been a film reminiscent of Michael Bay: gratuitous action and destruction of major cities, with little to no plot. Thankfully, with Joss Whedon at the helm, we were gifted with a snarky, funny, cinematically stunning, emotionally deep look at what motivates the men and woman behind the masks. Plus, watching the Hulk throw Loki around like a wet towel was insanely gratifying. This movie got us extremely excited for the next phase of the Marvel superhero movies, beginning with Iron Man 3, which will commence immediately after the events of The Avengers. We’ll finally get a chance to see what happens after all the death and destruction of superhero fights.
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Picked By Aly Semigran)
Benh Zeitlin's stunning debut about a brave, fierce little girl named Hushpuppy (miniature force of nature Quvenzhané Wallis) living in a post-storm bayou with her detiriorating, alcoholic father Wink (fellow impressive newcomer Dwight Henry) is an exhilarating, overwhelming experience. (To call it a tearjerker might imply you've had any tears left afterwards.) While the film may, in part, be about the awesome power of nature, it's really about love and the incredibly strength we can find in ourselves in the most challenging situations. In addition to the brilliant performances and masterful direction, Beasts also had the best musical score of any film this year.
Cabin in the Woods (Picked By Shaunna Murphy)
After an eons-long release delay, Cabin in the Woods finally made its way to theaters this spring — and for this, I thank the vicious, vengeful Gods. I would gladly sacrifice a gaggle of idiots for this perfect blend of (dare I say it?) meta, self-aware horror-comedy. The dialogue and wink-wink horror tropes were endlessly entertaining, while still being pretty scary — and not just while you're stoned, though Fran Kranz' Marty makes a pretty good case for legalization. Also, it's Bradley Whitford's best work in years. Also also, Richard Jenkins.
Cloud Atlas (Picked By Matt Patches)
Cloud Atlas was an ambitious movie the directors of The Matrix spent years trying to convince investors could work, but the result was worth the wait. A sprawling, interconnected story chronicling life's biggest challenges and the human spirit that overcomes them, Cloud Atlas is a big screen experiment that makes full use of its canvas. Spanning the 19th Century to the post-apocalyptic future, the Wachowskis, working with co-director Tom Tykwer, used special effects and A-List actors to tackle grand themes with a three-hour movie that stands as one of 2012's only true epics.
The Comedy (Picked By Matt Patches)
Tim Heidecker has made a career out of pushing the boundaries of "acceptable" comedy, but little did we realize he was only scratching the surface of the artform's subversive nature. In The Comedy, the actor loses himself in Swanson, a terrorist of the deadpan variety. Heidecker takes privileged young people to task in a tour-de-force performance that's hilarious, terrifying, and completely mesmerizing. Director Rick Alverson strips down the New York City landscape to its ugliest, laying on a rumbling soundscape to ensure our descent into Hell isn't too comfortable. The Comedy isn't easy to swallow, but for anyone looking for a challenge, it's a satisfying meal.
The Deep Blue Sea (Picked By Christian Blauvelt)
A tear-stained reverie of faded love and heartbreak, director Terence Davies’ first narrative film since 2000’s equally devastating The House of Mirth is the year’s most thoughtful, introspective character study. Rachel Weisz, in a career-best performance, plays a woman in 1950s London caught between her uncontrollable, adulterous passion for a former RAF pilot (Tom Hiddleston) and her awareness that he’s a total cad, unworthy of her (or any woman’s) love. So she thinks that suicide is the only way to reconcile head and heart. Set during the course of one day—the day on which Weisz’ character has decided to end her life—Davies’ delicate camera expands the parameters of the Terrence Rattigan play on which it’s based through a mosaic of flashbacks that chart the progression of her affair, including the most haunting depiction of The Blitz you’ll ever see.
The Hunger Games (Picked By Leanne Aguilera)
"May the odds be ever in your favor.” This past March, audiences were led through a whirlwind of raw emotions and heart-pounding adventures as 24 tributes schemed, fought, and killed in the brutal quest to be the winner of the 74th Annual Hunger Games. The first installment of Suzanne Collins' best-selling trilogy The Hunger Games was triumphantly transferred to the big screen, overall becoming the highest grossing female-led action film of all time. And for many book fans, hearing Jennifer Lawrence desperately call out, “I volunteer as tribute!” brought chills of excitement and satisfaction to know that they have cast the perfect Katniss Everdeen to eventually rise up against the Capitol as the Mockingjay that we all know, fear and love."
Lincoln (Picked By Kelsea Stahler)
This historical drama couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. Just as our country teeters on a precipice, demanding compromise and change, Lincoln sweeps into to tell the story of one of the nation’s most honorable politicians as he affected one of those most important and necessary changes in our history through less-than honorable means. Daniel Day-Lewis is could not be more perfect to capture the intimate portrait of the 16th American president, a man many of us presume to know from school-day history lessons. The film glosses over a few historical points of Lincoln’s move to pass the 13th Amendment before the end of the Civil War, eschewing them for the more dramatic moments, but in a landscape of Captain Americas and Iron Men, it’s a comfort to enjoy a film about an American hero whose strength was of conviction instead of brawn.
Magic Mike (Picked By Aly Semigran)
Don't call it the Channing Tatum stripper movie. Steven Soderbergh's sleek, smart, and — yes, sexy — slice of Americana is so much more than that. Part buddy comedy, part cautionary drama, the well-written and well-acted (Channing, who knew?) Magic Mike was a genuine risk taker that paid off big as the thinking woman's fantasy antidote to Fifty Shades of Grey. Plus, Matthew McConaughey's supporting turn as an sociopathic strip club owner is worth losing your shirt over.
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (Picked By Lindsey DiMatinna)
This movie was so much fun. I love all the crazy plot lines, especially watching Alex fall in love. But, the circus performance at the end was totally brilliant, especially in 3D. The 3D effects made all the action in this movie come alive right in front of me and made me feel like I was a part of the cartoon story. Yes, I am still a kid at heart.
Moonrise Kingdom (Picked By Alicia Lutes)
It's almost too easy for people to find reasons to dislike or poo-poo the work of Wes Anderson. It's "too precious" or "too indie," detractors cry in a flurried, expected manner. But with his 2012 release, Moonrise Kingdom, we saw Anderson's deft hand take a well-guided stab at childhood, romance, and the heart one develops from living in those moments. It's whimsical in the way all childhood memories are, but grounded in a wonderful story outside of its beautiful scenery and charms. Richly-developed characters, a need to escape, and the raw emotion of living—this is what makes 'Moonrise Kingdom' a highlight of 2012. Performance highlights include Bill Murray (duh), Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, and our young heroes Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward.
Oslo, August 31 (Picked By Christian Blauvelt)
Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s second film, ‘Oslo, August 31,’ lets the world unfold during the course of a single day through the eyes of a character contemplating suicide. In this case, it’s Anders (Anders Danielsen Lie), a 34-year-old guy with intellectual pretensions who’s let out of a drug-rehab clinic for one day to attend a job interview with a magazine. As the title suggests, the movie is also something of a city symphony for Norway’s capital, which Trier (yes, he’s distantly related to Lars) calls “the suburb of Europe.” ‘Oslo’ is purely a cerebral affair, with a character who rationalizes his irrational choices in a way that’s stunningly logical…and all the more unsettling for it.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Picked By Michael Arbeiter)
It’s no easy feat to turn a universally life-changing coming-of-age novel into an equally powerful feature film. Granted, it doesn’t hurt to have the novel’s author at the helm of the movie — such is the case The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which author Stephen Chbosky adapted from the very book that turned high school around for so many sad and lonely teenagers into a piece of cinema with just as dynamic an emotional force. The film’s starring players — a Logan Lerman stuck in his own head, an Emma Watson drenched in self-contempt, and (best of all) a hilarious and heartbreaking Ezra Miller as a young man charged with defending his sexual orientation against the world around him — breathe a life so vivid into Chbosky’s magical words, serving the story with just as much affect as the incarnates of yourself and your friends that you imagined to be fostering these roles upon first reading the book. From the softer, sweeter moments, to the dark and hard-to-watch turns, Perks is wholly real, reminding even those of us who read about and related to Charlie so many years ago just what it’s like to be him. And to feel, if only for a second, infinite.
Silver Linings Playbook (Picked By Anna Brand)
When you put Bradley Cooper in a movie without a strange baby and booze and smack a mental illness on him, doubts will soar. The same way Jennifer Lawrence without a bow and arrow undoubtedly creates skeptics. But leave it to these off-beat stars (with a 15-year age difference!) to bring seamless honesty and perfect chemistry. The blue collar setting – much like the director's The Fighter – is captured in such a relatable way it's almost desirable. Even though we get an ending as unrealistic as the time Matthew Mcconaughey chased down a taxi on a bridge and got to Kate Hudson just in time in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, it didn't take away from the thought-provoking story and spot-on acting. Not even a little bit. In fact, it was what we wanted all along.
Sleepwalk with Me (Picked By Michael Arbeiter)
Sleepwalk with Me is not at all just a celebration of standup comedian Mike Birbiglia, nor of standup comedy in general. It is a celebration of storytelling. Birbiglia channels his own ascension of the industry in this semi-fictional account of the comic’s early career, romantic relationships, and struggles with a chaotic sleep disorder. In the sentiment of the age-old “write what you know” adage, Birbiglia’s film expresses the philosophy that the greatest stories — be they funny or serious in nature — are those infused with the most honesty and intimacy. When Birbiglia’s author surrogate Matt Pandamiglia embraces his flaws and shortcomings, he learns just how much merit lies within the stories he has at his disposal. And beyond just influencing his career as a standup does this lesson influence his life — in the most laugh-out-loud and sincere fashion imaginable.
Zero Dark Thirty (Picked By Matt Patches)
Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal continue to mine high drama from real life circumstances, following The Hurt Locker with a how-can-this-possibly-be-true true story behind the investigation that led to the assassination of Osama bin Laden. Like a modern All the President's Men, Zero Dark Thirty finds emotion in the facts, keeping us on the edge of our seats as Jessica Chastain's Maya loses herself (and her friends) to the hunt. We know how the story ends, but impressively, getting there never seems predictable.
The 5 Worst:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Picked By Aly Semigran)
No one was in on the joke here. Not the audiences who wisely skipped out on the adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's comic novel of the same name and especially not filmmaker Timur Bekmamtebov, who played this dreck up as if it were a legitimate period piece without having his actors (including the talented, Benjamin Walker, who deserves better) so much as a wink or a nod to its overtly absurd premise. Joyless, poorly executed, and, considering it came out the same year as the masterful Lincoln, downright embarrassing.
Brave (Picked By Matt Patches)
Pixar's perfect streak took a major bump after Cars 2 and the hope was Brave, the animation studio's first fairy tale, could get them back on track. No dice. Princess Merida's tale had potential, but never ran with it, taking a hard left in the middle of Merida's cry for independence to explore a wacky tale of a Bear and her daughter. With a feeling of being slapped together, Brave missed the mark. Attribute it to high expectations — the film demands the scrutiny thanks to years of near-perfect work.
Chasing Mavericks (Picked By Brian Moylan)
A good movie should have sympathetic and interesting characters who follow a narrative arc. There should be development and consistency and rousing performances and new revelations about the human condition. In the absense of all of those there should at least be enough robots, lasers, superpowers, and aliens to keep you distracted for a couple of hours. Chasing Mavericks has none of those. Based on the true story of a young man whose neighbor teaches him to surf the biggest wave in California, this Gerard Butler vehicle lurches from scene to boring scene through some tired melodrama and stock sportsporational set pieces. Aside from some top-notch surfing footage this is a complete waste of time, even more so that there could be a revelatory story somewhere in there.
The Raven (Picked By Matt Patches)
With cinematography inspired by your local diner's split pea soup, writing at which airport mystery novelists would turn up their noses, and acting from the school of crazy Nic Cage, The Raven had all the pieces to be a so-bad-its-good cult classic. Instead, the Edgar Allen Poe serial killer flick is impenetrable dreck, the only reminder of the meandering film's stakes being John Cusack's hysterical (and overly repeated) scream of the name "EMILY!" every few minutes. Emily made a smart move — she disappeared from the movie.
The Master (Picked By Christian Blauvelt)
2012 had no greater “Emperor Has No Clothes” movie moment than The Master, a shallow, sodden character study about wayward sailor Freddie Quill (Joaquin Phoenix), a guy who likes to stand akimbo, jut out his jaw, and mumble unintelligibly (Phoenix’s sole acting choices) before and after falling under the thrall of an L. Ron Hubbard-style pseudo-philosopher (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s uncritical preoccupation with power, the select few who hold power, and everyone else who covets power, seems to have devolved into adolescent banality since his genuinely frightening depiction of Tom Cruise’s modern-day pied piper in Magnolia. Which is to say that it’s hard to imagine why any Scientologist, Cruise included, would be offended by anything in The Master. Anyone have some of Freddie Quill’s paint thinner so I can drown my sorrow about this mess of a film?
Or is it the best? (Picked By Matt Patches)
Anderson became the talk of the town in 2012 when he unveiled The Master's stunning 70mm photography, a picture quality so crisp and saturated that even if the film chased its narrative tail for two hours, the visuals would be enough of a pay off. Luckily, he had something incredible to capture in the wide-frame glory. Using religion as an entry point, The Master takes us as close to someone's internal monologue as an outsider can possibly get, with Phoenix and Hoffman's range of skills on full display as they unravel the imbecile Freddie and the seductive Lancaster Dodd. When clashed together, The Master becomes a tense match of wits. Who loses in the end is ambiguous, making the secrets of the human mind the heart of the film.
More:
The Best and Worst TV Episodes of 2012 — Staff Picks
Staff Picks: The 14 Best Songs of 2012 (And 5 We'd Like to Forget)
Staff Picks: The 10 Best Books of 2012 (And 5 That Pretty Much Sucked)
You Might Also Like:
20 Hottest Bikini Bodies of 2012: Megan Fox and More!
Honey Boo Boo vs. Kardashians: An Xmas Card Showdown

This weekend, everything you learned in history class takes a backseat to blockbuster entertainment as Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter unleashes itself upon the masses. It’s the story of our nation’s sixteenth president and his secret campaign against the bloodsucking undead. This is not the first fantastical cinematic recasting of historical figures. Earlier this year, James McTeigue’s The Raven offered the supposition that Edgar Allen Poe not only wrote chilling horror stories, but also matched wits with serial killers. Nor will Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter be the last example of this trend. Later this year, we’ll see FDR: American Badass, in which Franklin Roosevelt hunts werewolves, and there’s even talks of a pending movie in which sailor John Paul Jones battles sea monsters.
So what’s the deal with all these history/fantasy mash-ups? Did Inglourious Basterds instill in us a desire to revise history to more satisfying ends? Are we so desperate for twists on familiar movie tropes that we have begun trying to incorporate them into historical context simply to lend them some sort of added subconscious legitimacy? It’s not as if there weren’t enough movies hitting theaters this summer that we absolutely needed a high concept action horror film to entice people to the multiplexes.
It could be that this new craze is the natural evolution of something that’s been a part of our shared national heritage for hundreds of years: the tall tale. There was a time—before the inception of social media, the Internet, or even film itself—in which people would hand down these fish stories of legendary figures accomplishing unbelievable deeds or facing down incalculable odds. Characters like Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan, Calamity Jane, and John Henry became American folk heroes. Their feats and their stories were mythic and they were born of the frontier spirit. They were fearless, self-reliant, and possessed of either gargantuan stature or inhuman strength; thematically communicating the zeitgeist of manifest destiny and pioneer survival.
Most interesting about folk heroes, the fodder of tall tales, is the instances wherein tall tales and history begin to overlap like a Venn diagram of fiction and fact. The best example of this crossover has to be Texan hero Davy Crockett. His actions during the battle of the Alamo canonized him into American folklore. Yet, if you believe the folksong, he also killed a bear at age three. Even though some of the finer details of his exploits are the subject of controversy, the fact remains that there is documented proof of his existence; a (once) living legend.
Take a slight step further and arrive at one of history’s greatest leaders: Abraham Lincoln. This is a man who saved a young nation from being ripped apart by secession and took the first decisive steps toward racial equality; eradicating generations of bondage and oppression. So why then add a fictive vampire hunting hobby to the man’s story? It’s possible that his actual deeds are so heroic that they had to amplify his legend with genre trappings in order to market it to modern audiences. Our need for heroes has advanced to the point that we begin retrofitting comic book sensibilities to even those figures who once earned monuments by virtue of their actual accomplishments.
Yet therein lies the catalyst for the evolution of the tall tale. The boundaries of our nation became tangible, the qualities we admired shifted, and eventually tall tales became so tall they were able to leap buildings in a single bound. As comic books began to redefine heroism, they actually began to push the concept of a tall tale into a more exaggerated and graphically pronounced medium. Leave that to stew for a few decades and superheroes are the new representations of mythic idealism. Spandex-clad folk heroes, their metaphor-laden origins and spectacular talents becoming pop culture lore as they move from the confines of literature to the silver screen. But it’s reaching a tipping point now wherein superhero films are so ubiquitous that the tall tales they weave are losing their appeal. The larger-than-life factor, a requisite for the tall tale, is taken for granted.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and all historical fantasies of that ilk, is both a look backward at what used to distinguish a folk hero and the next logical stage of development in the evolution of the tall tale. Now, if they could only get that Johnny Appleseed: Zombie Slayer off the ground, we’d be in business.
More:
'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter': First Look at Anthony Mackie — PICS
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter': New Trailer Features Patriotic President/Slayer
First Image From ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ Is Very Presidential
[Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox]

British actor Luke Evans has been offered the role of the supervillain in the sixth Fast &amp; The Furious film, according to online reports. The Raven star has reportedly replaced Jason Statham as the man who will go up against Paul Walker and Vin Diesel in the sequel, which will also feature Michelle Rodriguez, whose character was presumed dead in an earlier movie, and Dwayne Johnson.

No one predicted the degree of success Think Like a Man would enjoy. The film, based on (and featuring) the book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by actor/writer Steve Harvey, topped the box office during its opening weekend of April 20, shocking the industry by doubling its foreseen gross at over $33 million. Wise to the power of the ensemble comic romance film, Hollywood.com Box Office Analyst Paul Dergarabedian predicts sustained success for the Tim Story flick, estimating an intake of $20 million during its second weekend in theaters, again at the top of the box office.By Sunday, April 29, Think Like a Man will have earned $60 million total. Considering the romantic comedy genre of the film, its springtime release and and its relatively low budget, this amounts to a terrific success story.
As far as the silver medal goes, it could be anyone's game. New releases this weekend include rom-com The Five-Year Engagement starring likeable duo Jason Segel and Emily Blunt; action-thriller Safe starring Mr. Action-Thriller himself Jason Statham; mystery-thriller The Raven with a hammy John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe; and the family-friendly animated comedy The Pirates! Band of Misfits. None of these entries are predicted as a clear front-runner and whichever film does take second place will likely rope in sales between $10 and $15 million.
The Zac Efron vehicle The Lucky One, which took second place during the weekend of April 20, is likely to maintain a Top 5 spot this weekend, with an intake in the low teens. However, another big development for the weekend will be The Hunger Games descent into single digit earnings, over a month after its theatrical release. By far, The Hunger Games has been 2012's biggest success — however, with the weekend of May 4 rolling around, The Avengers might be a viable candidate to usurp that position.
More:
Think Like A Man Tops Box Office!
Think Like a Man: How It Became the Biggest Success Story of the Year
Can Anything Beat Hunger Games at the Box Office?

Sony's "Think Like a Man" leads the box office for the second consecutive weekend with $18 million holding off a bevy of newcomers and bringing its 10 day total to $60 million after a much bigger-than-expected debut last weekend. The big screen adaptation of Steve Harvey's best-selling dating book, featuring an eclectic ensemble cast has done very well for Sony’s Screen Gems label proving to be very profitable with a mere $12 million negative cost.
The remainder of the top five found themselves in a veritable box office pileup as they all generated grosses in the $11 million range.
Sony also holds the number two spot with the only family-friendly newcomer “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” which earned $11.4 million. The Aardman/Sony Pictures Animation film brought their very unique brand of animation to family audiences and performed the best of the numerous newcomers this weekend.
Warner Bros.’ “The Lucky One,” last week's No. 2 film, took third place with 11.325 million and close to $40 million after 10 days of release.
Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games," the year's most successful film so far, had another great weekend taking in $11.25 million and crossing the $372 million mark by Sunday night.
Universal's R-rated comedy "The Five-Year Engagement," starring Jason Segel rounded out the top five earning $11.2 million in its debut.
Two other newcomers took the sixth and seventh spots as Lionsgate's "Safe," with Jason Statham earned $7.72 million and Relativity's “The Raven,” starring John Cusack with $7.25 million.
Summer kicks into high gear next weekend, when Disney/Marvel opens the superhero extravaganza “The Avengers” at more than 4,000 domestic theaters.
And speaking of which…
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS (Marvel Studios) began its record-breaking worldwide rollout opening in 39 international territories representing 70% of the international marketplace. The film opens in the U.S. on May 4th.
Estimated international cume through 4/29 is $178.4 MILLION.
International Highlights:
• Biggest opening weekend ever in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Central America, Bolivia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand, The Philippines.
• Biggest opening days in New Zealand, Taiwan, Iceland &amp; Malaysia
• Opened #1 in every market.
Key Territories
UK $24.7M
Australia $19.7M
Mexico $15.9M
Korea $12.9M
France $12.7M
Brazil $11.3M
Italy $10.4M
Taiwan $7.7M
Spain $7.3M
Germany $6.7M
Philippines $6.5M
HK $4.6M
Other $38.0M
Total $178.4M
Weekend Box Office (Estimates)
Top Movies for Weekend of April 27, 2012
Movie Weekend Gross Total to Date
1 Think Like a Man (PG13) $18.0M $60.9M
2 Pirates! Band of Misfits (PG) $11.4M $11.4M
3 The Lucky One (PG13) $11.32M $39.9M
4 The Hunger Games (PG13) $11.25M $372.5M
5 Five-Year Engagement (R) $11.2M $11.2M
More: Think Like a Man: How It Became the Biggest Success Story of the Year The Lucky One Box Office: Will It Earn More Than Nicholas Sparks' Past Tearjerkers?